Student view

Standing up for sororities

By Kim Wilton

I am a sorority girl. Most people laugh or roll their eyes when I
tell them and I’ll admit I used to have the same reaction.
However, after joining one, I realized that the way the media and
Hollywood portray sororities and fraternities is very far from the
truth.

Sororities and fraternities have a bad rap.

Contrary to popular opinion, they are not booze-filled party houses
with frightening initiation rituals. Nor are their members all
blonde bimbos or drunken frat boys. In reality, sororities and
fraternities are groups that are devoted to philanthropy and
scholarship, and enriching the university experiences of their
members. Despite these obvious benefits, many universities across
North America have banned sororities and fraternities from their
campuses, which has contributed to the misconceptions surrounding
them.

The initiation and hazing rituals of some fraternities and
sororities have attracted a lot of attention in the press for being
intimidating and humiliating. However, these behaviours are rare
and occurred more frequently in the past. While I clearly cannot
vouch for all sororities and fraternities, I can definably say that
none of these behaviours occurred in any of the sororities or
fraternities that I knew. Yes, I went through initiation but it was
tame and silly more than anything else.

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of sororities and fraternities
is the emphasis they place on philanthropy. Many sororities and
fraternities adopt a particular charitable cause and devote their
time fundraising for it. In my sorority we tirelessly fundraised
for the Breast Cancer Society of Canada and volunteered at a local
eating disorder recovery centre.

Most sororities and fraternities emphasize academic achievement and
scholarship. In my particular sorority, members were expected to
attain and keep a GPA of at least 3.0. Numerous scholarships were
available to members both at undergraduate and graduate levels.

The stereotypical image of a sorority girl or fraternity boy is
also incorrect. Anyone can join one regardless of his or her
religion, ethnicity or financial background. Yes, many of the
sorority girls I encountered were blonde but there were also a few
who wore a hijab.

Additionally, sororities and fraternities are very affordable. They
provide their members with cheaper accommodations than university
residences and apartment rentals. My sorority offered bursaries and
emergency funds to members who faced a crisis, both when they were
active and when they were no longer students.

Without a doubt, the most awarding aspect of any sorority or
fraternity experience is the social aspect. When you join a
sorority or fraternity you instantly gain 20 or more good friends,
friends you will most likely keep for a lifetime. After graduation,
members still get together monthly and even weekly. Having an
instant group of friends can help ease the isolation and loneliness
that many students feel when they first enter university.

I’m not going to deny that there are negative aspects of
sororities and fraternities, particularly in the past. The
initiation and hazing rituals of some have been unjustifiably
aggressive, and even violent. Yes, they can sometimes appear to be
inclusive cliques and yes, many have “wild” frat
parties. But these sorts of behaviours can apply to any group,
whether it is a sports team, a debating team or just a group of
friends. It’s not fair to single out fraternities and
sororities and ban them for behaviours that may have occurred in
the past or that can occur in any social group.